One alcove in Como is about to earn its keep again. The Minneapolis crew handles demo, plumbing, walls and glass.
Written quote at no cost, one callback, no chasing afterwards.
Do you ever look at your bulky, outdated porcelain tub and wish for something more practical? Swapping that high-sided relic for a sleek, walk-in wash station makes your morning routine feel like a breeze.
Getting rid of the old basin allows you to reclaim precious floor space in your home. This change creates an open and airy vibe that makes even the smallest bathroom feel much bigger. You will appreciate the added room when you move around your daily routine.
Perhaps you find stepping over those high, slippery walls a bit nerve-wracking these days. Choosing a floor-level entry point removes that danger and helps you keep your balance while you scrub up. Your safety stays the top priority whenever you update your home layout.
Thinking about the long term, a walk-in setup offers a level of ease that standard tubs simply cannot match. You save so much time when you do not have to struggle with curtains or splashy doors. Plus, cleaning a tiled enclosure takes way less effort than scrubbing grime off a deep, curved basin.
Modern designs allow you to add features like built-in benches or grab bars for extra support. These little additions provide a nice sense of relaxation while you wash off the day. You never have to worry about feeling unstable or restricted in your own house again.
Consider the visual appeal of a custom tiled space with a rainfall head. It turns a boring task into a high-end experience that brings a touch of luxury to your daily life. Your property value gets a nice boost, which is always a smart move for your future finances.
Living in a place like Como, Minnesota, you know that older houses often have unique quirks and tight corners. Tackling a major renovation in this part of the city requires someone who understands local building codes. You want a pro who treats your home with respect and gets the job done right.
Since this neighborhood sits right within the vibrant landscape of the Twin Cities, finding the right materials is important. You want durable tile and high-quality plumbing fixtures that survive the local climate. This ensures your investment lasts for many years without needing constant repairs or expensive tweaks.
Selecting the right style involves picking colors and finishes that match the rest of your decor. Whether you want a rustic stone look or a crisp, modern aesthetic, the options remain endless. You deserve a setup that reflects your personal taste while staying functional for everyone in your family.
When you remove the basin, you open up the wall space for better storage solutions. Think about adding recessed niches for your soaps and shampoos to keep things organized. This simple trick keeps your floor clear and prevents those annoying piles of plastic bottles.
Beyond storage, you get to choose the exact drain location to suit your plumbing needs. Proper drainage prevents water from sitting where it should not, which keeps your floor clean and dry. You will enjoy the efficiency of a system built specifically for your unique room layout.
Another great perk involves the lighting options you can install once the walls are open. Adding waterproof LED strips or focused spotlights makes your morning routine much brighter. You will definitely notice the difference when you can actually see what you are doing.
Starting this journey might seem a bit daunting, but the process moves quite fast with the right help. You first need to clear out the old hardware and assess the plumbing underneath. This step lets you check for any hidden issues like water damage or old, brittle pipes.
Working with a contractor who knows the area means they bring all the right tools for the job. They handle the messy stuff, like removing heavy cast iron or fiberglass shells. You stay out of the way while they transform your room into a beautiful, accessible masterpiece.
Table 1: Comparing your old tub to a modern walk-in station
| Feature | Old Basin | New Walk-in | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Height | High wall | Floor level | |
| Cleaning Ease | Difficult | Very simple | |
| Space Usage | Bulky | Compact | |
| Safety | Slipping risk | High stability |
Now that you see the value, you probably want to know how much such a project costs. Every home in this county has different plumbing needs, so a custom quote remains the best way to get accurate numbers. You do not want any surprises when the project finally kicks off.
Requesting a free estimate lets you talk through your ideas with a professional who listens to you. You can discuss your budget and find the best materials that fit your needs perfectly. This conversation makes the whole process feel much less stressful and more exciting.
You deserve a house that works for you, not against you. Stop settling for a space that feels outdated and hard to maintain. Reach out today to start the conversation about your new, beautiful wash area.
Waiting for the perfect moment often means waiting forever, so why not start planning today? You can keep using your current setup while you gather ideas and talk to a pro. This keeps your life moving smoothly while you prepare for the big improvement.
Some homeowners worry about the noise or the dust during the work. A skilled person keeps the area tidy and follows a strict plan to finish as fast as possible. You can relax knowing that your home stays secure and clean throughout the entire construction phase.
Consider how much better your morning feels when you have a space you actually love. It changes your mood and sets a positive tone for the rest of your day. You will wonder why you waited so long to make the switch.
Choosing the right materials matters just as much as the layout itself. You want non-slip tiles that provide a nice grip even when things get wet. This small choice makes a huge difference for your safety and confidence inside the enclosure.
Additionally, the fixtures you pick should stand up to daily use without leaking or corroding. High-quality shower heads and valves save water and provide a more pleasant flow. You get a better result that stays shiny and functional for a long time.
Investing in these details means you spend less time on maintenance later on. A solid, well-built structure survives the daily wear and tear that comes with a busy household. You want peace of mind knowing your new space is built to last.
Getting started is as easy as sending a quick message to a local contractor. They come out to your house and take all the measurements needed for a precise plan. You get clear answers to your questions without any pressure to sign anything immediately.
This is your chance to turn your vision into a reality with someone who values your input. Tell them exactly what you need and watch how they offer solutions that fit your specific room. You gain so much insight just by having a pro walk through your house.
Don't let another day go by with a setup that causes you stress. Reach out for your free estimate now and take control of your home improvement goals. You will find that the process is much simpler and more affordable than you might have ever imagined.
Count the baths your household actually ran last year. In most homes we visit, the honest number is somewhere between zero and three, and yet every single morning somebody swings a leg over fifteen inches of porcelain rim to stand up and shower inside a fixture built for lying down. The tub charges rent daily and works a few evenings a year.
Nothing dramatic follows from that. Nobody is in danger because a bathtub exists, and if long soaks are part of your week, keep the tub and enjoy it with our blessing. The case for the conversion is plainer: when the tub has become a shower tray with high sides, you are paying, in caution and in cleaning, for a feature you retired years ago.
The swap itself is smaller than most people picture. The supply lines, the drain and the alcove walls are already exactly where a shower wants them, which is why this is a job measured in days. We are not building a new bathroom; we are letting the one you have stop pretending it still gives baths.
The same alcove, photographed the way the week actually unfolds. Weather never delays this one; it all happens indoors.
Floors along the hallway get covered, the water goes off for a few hours, and the bathtub is cut free and carried out, tile flange and all. With the alcove stripped, the plumber moves the drain to where the new pan wants it and sets the new valve at shower height. By supper the room is bare, clean and ready.
The base arrives first: an acrylic pan set dead level on a mortar bed, or a sloped, waterproofed floor when the plan says curbless. Then the walls close in, either grout-free panels bonded in a single afternoon or backer board ready for tile. Everything from here on is watertight before it is pretty.
The glass panel or door is drilled, hung and plumbed straight, the trim goes on, and the silicone lines are drawn last. Silicone wants a day to cure, so the first shower usually happens the following morning, which is exactly how we schedule the walkthrough.
Both are real showers in the same alcove. The difference is the entry, and what has to happen under it.
| What you weigh | Low curb | Curbless |
|---|---|---|
| What stands at the entry | A tidy threshold about 3 to 4 inches tall | Nothing. The bathroom floor rolls straight into the shower |
| Cost, installed | The friendlier bracket, most jobs land here | Roughly a third to a half more, the floor is rebuilt |
| What the crew rebuilds | The alcove only; the bathroom floor stays shut | Part of the bathroom floor, sloped and waterproofed |
| Water containment | The curb and glass do the holding | The slope and a linear drain do the holding |
| Suits best | Straight swaps on a budget and upstairs bathrooms | Wheels, walkers, and anyone planning to stay put for decades |
Undecided is a fine answer on the form. The site visit settles it with a tape measure, not a sales pitch.
Removal
Cut free, hauled out and off to recycling, with floors and doorways shielded on the way. The loudest hour of the conversion, and it wraps before most jobs have begun.
Plumbing
Tub drains sit at one end; showers drain where the pan says. We move what needs moving and swap the old valve for a pressure-balanced one.
The base
A level acrylic pan for most swaps, a mortar-built sloped floor for curbless plans. Either way it is tested with water before anything covers it.
The walls
Grout-free panels go up in an afternoon and wipe clean forever. Tile takes longer, costs more, and looks like whatever you can imagine.
The glass
A fixed panel keeps things open and easy to clean; a hinged door closes the warmth in. Both are tempered, both are set dead straight.
The finish
Shelving, the hand shower, clean caulk lines and a walkthrough. We leave the cure time in writing so the first shower is not a gamble.
| The job | Usual range | Inside the number |
|---|---|---|
| Standard tub-to-shower conversion | $3,100 - $5,600 | Tub out, low curb pan, wall panels, new valve, glass panel. |
| Curbless conversion | $4,900 - $8,800 | The floor is rebuilt flush and sloped to a linear drain. |
| Glass: fixed panel or hinged door | $450 - $1,400 | A single panel sits at the low end, a framed door at the top. |
| Walls: PVC panels or tile | $1,100 - $3,900 | Panels finish in a day; tile adds days and takes any look you want. |
| Tear-out only | $450 - $950 | The tub gone and the alcove left clean for another trade. |
| Small job minimum | around $2,400 | Even the simplest swap books a licensed plumber and a full crew. |
Wall condition, drain position and the glass you choose move every line. The visit pins the figure down, and the figure then holds.
A bathtub drains at one end through its own trap; most showers want the drain nearer the middle, or along one edge when the plan is curbless. Sometimes the existing trap is close enough to reuse and sometimes it has to travel a foot or two, which means opening a strip of floor. We can usually tell which from the basement or the crawl space during the visit, and the paperwork you sign already names which one you are getting.
Houses older than the seventies like to add a surprise: galvanized supply lines rusted nearly shut, a cast iron trap that crumbles at a touch, or framing that got damp decades ago and kept it quiet. None of it is rare and none of it is ruinous, but it is your call, not ours. When something like that turns up, work pauses, you get photographs and a price for the fix, and nothing is billed until you have said yes to it. A conversion should never be the job where the invoice writes itself.
QIs losing the only bathtub a resale mistake?
AAgents around Como repeat one rule: a family house shows better with a tub somewhere in it. If this is your only tub and small children are in your plans, we put that on the table during the visit and you decide with open eyes. If another bathroom keeps its tub, or the buyers you expect are shower people, the argument evaporates.
QHow long do we go without washing?
AThe toilet and sink stay usable every evening, and the water is only off for stretches on day one. The shower itself is ready once the silicone cures, so figure on missing roughly three days of showers at home. Plenty of clients time the job before a weekend away.
QDoes all the old tile come off the walls?
AOn the alcove walls, yes, because the new waterproofing needs to start from the studs, not from forty-year-old grout. Tile outside the alcove stays put, and we cut a clean line where the two meet.
QCan the new shower use the tub drain?
AThe pipe itself is nearly always reusable; the position is the question. A low curb pan can often sit its drain within reach of the old trap. Curbless floors want a relocated or linear drain, and that difference is priced before demo, never discovered after.
QDo we need a permit for the swap?
AA like-for-like fixture swap usually rides on a simple plumbing permit, and moving the drain can add an inspection. We file whatever your jurisdiction wants and fold the cost into the written price.
QWhat if there is rot behind the tub?
AIt happens, mostly around the old tile flange. You get photographs the hour we find it, a firm price for the repair, and the choice to proceed or pause. The framing fix is usually a morning, not a remodel.
The map carries the geography; the link lists underneath spell out every town our crews can reach from this one.
One three-day job stands between this bathroom and its best fixture.
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